Immigration troubled with foreigner students without permits

The Department of Immigration in North Western province has embarked on a sensitization exercise to educate school managers in the province to ensure foreign pupils acquire study permits before admitting them in learning institutions.

Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said in an interview with ZANIS in Solwezi that the department has observed that there are many foreigner children accessing education in both private and government schools without study permit in the province.

Mr Nshinka said this trend is against the Immigration Act no. 18 of 2010 which provides that school managers are not allowed to admit foreign pupils who have not obtained study permits from the Immigration department.

He said if the situation is left unchecked it has the potential to compromise the social security of the country.

Mr Nshinka noted that most school managers are ignorant of the provisions of the Immigration Act and have admitted foreigner pupils in their schools without study permits.

He said this has prompted the Immigration Department to embark on a sensitization exercise in all learning institutions to educate school managers about the provisions of the Act.

And Solwezi Technical Secondary Head Teacher Beatrice Chiyuka said the exercise will help school managers and pupils to be vigilant when dealing with foreign pupils.

North -Western province has in recent years recorded an increase in the number of foreigner nationals who have come to work in the mines and others businesses ventures.

24 COMMENTS

Don’t call another fellow African ‘foreigner’. Lets stop this idio!cy. Bushe did these ‘Africans’ draw up the boundaries to segregate themselves from their kith and kin. What’s wrong with a Congolese child accessing school in Zambia if the nearest school in his country is hundreds of kilometres away. And to hell with immigration papers and borders! What was the purpose of fighting for independence if not to liberate Africans from colonial yoke?, Kind of lunatic to tightly hold on to what we were fighting against?

@Wantanshi, I like your line of thinking. Africans have a tendency of hating other African foreign nationals who may not have valid documents to either study or work in the country, than they do with Europeans or Asians who are in similar situations. This is terrible!

My question is, are these so called foreign nationals studying for free? The answer is a big N.O!! Why can the immigration department get off their butt and go into schools and try and register all genuine foreign students who are having permit issues.

Besides, most foreign nationals have good skills and are hard working. Most Zambians are lazy. Just do everything out of love. Be careful how you treat others. Tomorrow will be in their countries.

You need to go to some of these neighboring countries…..Your passport there is always your next of Kin. You always have to check to see that you still have days to be in that country. Zambians are not serious with their sovereignty. We are who we are because we are Zambians. Let these foreigners(Africans, Europeans, Asians…..) it does not matter because they are not party of our heritage and well being. Like my friend TRUE ZAMBIAN has written about the Turkish people at Horizon School, we shall follow the happenings there with an eagle’s eye.These guys are literally buying their way out without the necessary prerequisites to be in Zambia…..some are selling TEA and others are metal workers, while others have a know how on Microsoft word and are given permits as teachers…….Why?

……I don’t understand….I thought when a child comes into the country with parents who have valid immigration papers do not need any study permits to access education……its only when the pupil is on his or her own that they need such….

actually i m not worried about foreign students as long as they pay for there studies in zed and as above poster mentioned some zambian schools are closer to them im more worried about foreigners who conduct illegal activities in zambia including theft lets sort those out first.

I am worried with both students and the so called experts from other countries. The students just need to normalize their stay in Zambia by getting the study permits. The ones that are a challenge are the ones coming to do the jobs that our people can even perform very well and have the necessary qualifications. We are looking(creating) jobs for our youth and the immigration department has to be the LOCK to safe guarding these jobs which our youth so badly need………..Let us be pro active and remain as polite as we have been as Zambian…….Do not call anyone Mukwere Kwere like they call us in Botswana and South Africa.

@ Wantanshi, I like the fire of Africanism in you. But the issue at hand needs immediate solutions. Each country has its own set of rules and regulations, which need to be followed. If we have students accessing education in our schools without permits, then the law has to visit them…because I dont think Zambians would be allowed to access education without study permits in other countries.
And @Scrutinizer, I wish that was the case too, because I dont see why someone born in this country (even to foreign parents) shouldnt access education ( and i think thats the case – if u re born in Zambia even if your parents are foreign, you dont need a study permit).

Remember those schools that the foreigners are accessing for free are being provided for by the Zambian Tax payer. What(Where) is the challenge in getting the study permit if someone means well? We have rules and Laws to follow in Zambia not in Africa……..Are you advocating for ONE Africa ONE country?? Who shall pay the taxes to provide these facilities for free to all the citizens of Africa?

If the parents are working in the mines, what study permits do they need? No study permits for those from Angola, Zim, Tanzania, Mozabique, Malawi, Malawi, Namibia and Congo. Even children of Chinese do not mean study permits if their parents have work permits. Just deal with Chinese, Indian and Nigerian illegals

Now we have TURKISH illegals. The Turkish embassy can help with this matter. Let them help with verifying authentic papers not those that they are cooking and colluding with some immigration officials…..SAD!!

@scrutinizerer … I concur with you. I don’t understand the logic of requiring a study permit for your 3 year old daughter while you possess a work permit. I am feeling that this is a silly way of raising money from our African brothers and people from the rest of the world. Called Rent Seeking behavior of institutions.

The officer’s concerns are valid .Though cases differ, there is a need of counterchecking immigrants. Kenya allowed them from neighbouring Somali and now we are regretting. They mastered all corners of Kenya and now they are suicide- bombing from any place even in the villages. Some colluded with rogue officers and got fake identity cards. They have penetrated everywhere and formed formiddable groups. They are now a security threat recruiting youths. However, this does not mean denying students from other countries the right to learn so long as they are thoroughly scrutinized.

My reactions are mixed on this one. While I support @Wantanshi on his well thought out point I need to also comment on what @Tembatembazaza notes about neighboring countries. Some of it is not true. If you have ever lived in Namibia one striking pointer is that you will be referred to as a foreigner and your children will be required to show a study permit whether or not you have a work permit yourself. Unless things have changed, neighboring countries have their own draconian approaches to what they deemed foreign encroachment…

BOWMAN LUSAMBO HAS JUST SPOKEN ON THE ISSUE OF EMPLOYING THE THE FOREIGNERS AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE ZAMBIA YOUTH………CHECK WITH THE IMMIGRATION IF THEY ARE IN LINE WITH THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE AND INDEED THE WISHES OF THE PRESIDENT EL.

Surely it depends on what schools we are talking about. I can understand giving priority to Zambian children in public schools, but I think private schools should not be dictated to. If people from neibouring countries are willing to pay for their children to come to our country to have an education in our private schools, we should be both proud and grateful. They are supporting our schools.

@ mukame Are we reading from the same script? You have deviated from the main subject. The officer was not talking about priority on education. His main issue concerned state and social security if you read between the lines.

Immigration det in Zambia does better than the UK one! They are very good at going out and removing illegals. This Robles must be dealt with effectively. Even African students must conform to immigration rules .

Immigration department in Zambia does better than the UK one! They are very good at going out and removing illegals. This problem must be dealt with effectively. Even African students must conform to immigration rules .

Seriously? A minor – dependent – 7 or 20 year old school kid which is on the permit of it’s parents needs a study permit? So what should expat kids do other than go to school? Why is immigration not telling these families that they need an additional permit for their kinds when they apply for their work, investiors or other permit? What is zambia telling the world with that? We have so many good and sensible laws that are not enforced at all, but on that one we make a bold step foreward?
To be very clear: I am talking about families that have valid permits (even resident permits) and have underage kids! The question comes up: so what is next?